WASHINGTON, November 17. /TASS/. US President Joe Biden stated that he underscored Washington’s support of the Taiwan Relations Act during his online meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, noting that Washington does not encourage the island’s independence.
When asked by a journalist whether the meeting achieved any progress on Taiwan, Biden said: "We made very clear we support the Taiwan Act and that’s it."
"It’s independent. It makes its own decisions," he said.
The US adopted the Taiwan Relations Act in 1979. Under this law, Washington obliges to provide the island with defensive weapons and act to protect it, should China attempt to seize control of Taiwan by force.
Biden explained that the US does not change its policy on Taiwan.
"We’re not going to change our policy at all," he noted. "I said they have to decide on Taiwan, not us. We are not encouraging independence. We’re encouraging them to do exactly what the Taiwan Act requires. That’s what we’re doing. Let them make up their mind."
On Tuesday, the White House stated that Biden confirmed during his meeting with Xi Jinping that the US adheres to the "One China" principle, and condemned any attempts to change the status of Taiwan unilaterally.